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Put on "Suspected Hit and Run vehicle file" ?

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Lomotil

Junior Member
What is the name of your state? --TEXAS--

Hello all,

Recently, I got a letter in the mail marked "Final Notice" (albeit, it was also my *first* notice), stating that I was implicated in a hit-and-run accident a while back, and that my license plate is subject to being stopped as a result.

>>What exactly does this mean, and what would happen should I be stopped?

Here's what happened:

A while back, I was backing out of a parking space at a retail store, and someone else on the opposite side backed out and struck my vehicle. I take great care to look behind me when I back up as to avoid situations such as this, and when I started backing up, nobody else was exiting a parking stall, nor did anyone have their reverse lights on (it was at night, so that would've been even more visible).

After I felt (and heard) the collision, I exited my vehicle, and examined the damage with the driver of the other vehicle. The other driver appeared to be very young (16-18), and had a car full of his friends with him. We assessed the damage to both vehicles, and I noticed that the damage to my car was hardly noticeable. His vehicle, however, had some noticeable body damage. I told him that since the damage to my vehicle was negligible, I wouldn't be filing a claim with his insurance company, and that I didn't feel that a report was necessary. He paused for a few moments, then spoke to me in a belligerent tone, "Well, somebody's got to pay for this," while pointing to the damage. At this point, his (apparently) high school friends jumped out of the car and started raising a ruckus, and at that point, I told him that he needed to contact his insurance company to repair the damage.

Since I was alone, and he had a car full of his friends trying to point the finger, I felt it was in my best interest to leave, and so I did.

Now, the first thoughts that ran through my mind were that the kid was probably borrowing the parent's car, and through fear of repercussions with the parents, had all of his friends give a statement implicating that I was at fault. This is pure speculation on my part, but the only reason I can think of as to why I'm receiving this letter now.

Now, the letter asks for me to provide some personal information that I would rather not be accessible to the other party.

It asks for:
  • Driver's name
  • Driver's license number
  • Date of birth
  • Race
  • Sex
  • Address
  • Phone number
  • Liability insurance company name
  • Phone number for insurance
  • Policy number
  • Vehicle make/model/year/color
  • Part of vehicle damaged

Honestly, I do not wish to provide this information because I do not want the person whom hit me to have my home address or any other personal information about me. If the individual is so quick to abandon responsibility for his actions and blame me, who's to say that he won't decide to throw a rock through my window or slash my tires someday? Call me a worrywort, but I work with rehabilitating adolescents and have seen reports of what some of these kids are capable of.

What it all boils down to is that I want my license plate taken off of whatever list of 'suspected crimes' it's associated with, and I wish to retain my anonymity in the process.

Advice, please?
 
Last edited:


ecmst12

Senior Member
Wow, you really showed some MASSIVELY bad judgement. You are required to exchange contact information and/or insurance information with anyone you get into an accident with. You could have called the police and had your account of what happened. You could have (SHOULD HAVE) reported the accident to your insurance company IMMEDIATELY, and let them handle the denial when the kid's parents tried to file a claim. Instead, you've been ignoring the situation, which makes your credibility EXTREMELY suspect. Why would you have been running from the situation if you weren't guilty?

You'd better report the accident to your insurance company ASAP and hope that they believe you. And turn over your insurance information and vehicle information to the police before you get arrested.
 

Lomotil

Junior Member
Now, I've not repaired any damage to my vehicle, so any inspection of it would surely show the angle of the accident, and from which direction it came from, correct?

Why would you have been running from the situation if you weren't guilty?
Two reasons.

One
, the driver was trying to imply that I was guilty, when, in fact, there was nobody backing up while I exited the parking stall. I've installed convex mirrors on both of my side mirrors, and white backup lights tend to show up very well - there was nobody backing up when I started to exit the stall.

Two, I was leaving the store after purchasing some Povidone Iodine and saline solution, because I needed to combine the two and dilute the Iodine to the point that I could apply it to my dog's infected eye (which I had noticed about an hour prior). Recently, I took in a stray outdoor cat (with kittens), and it appeared that the cat had clawed my dog's eye. That was my main concern that evening, and why this incident took 'back burner' to the whole ordeal. Thankfully, my homemade eye irrigation cleared up his infection without the added expense of vet bills.

---So, you're saying that being on this 'suspected list' of hit and run vehicles will guarantee my arrest the next time a cop pulls me over for a burned-out taillight? Is that protocol? What are the *actual* laws regarding finger-pointing, and where can I go to print up a hard copy of both the laws and my rights?

As far as 'driving to the nearest police station' goes - I don't even know where the nearest police station is. I had a sick pet to tend to, and even if I had thought of that option at the time, I wouldn't have had the time to find it and go there. Especially since there was little to no damage to my vehicle, and I expected nothing to arise from this situation.

Where can I go on the web for information on this "Suspected hit and run list?"
 

ecmst12

Senior Member
Wow, did you even read my post?

There's a wonderful thing called the internet. You can find your local police station, as well as the non-emergency phone number, on it. You can also look at that lovely letter you got in the mail, I bet it has a return address on it.

I'm sorry about your sick pet, but really that's no excuse for stupidity.

This has nothing to do with finger-pointing, by the way. You are in trouble because you left the scene of an accident without providing your insurance information to the other driver, as REQUIRED BY LAW, whether you thought it was your fault or not.
 

Lomotil

Junior Member
I read your post, and at the time of the incident, it didn't even register as a priority. I had an urgent matter to attend to at home, and I consider the possibility of my pet going blind to be far more important than someone else's dent that they caused. Honestly, the next day, I didn't even think about the incident.

OK, so I should have informed the police, and my insurance. That much I realize now. I didn't think that was part of the law if you were on private property. I even spoke with other people after getting the letter, and they cited times where they were in their car (again, in a parking lot), while someone else backed into them and drove off. They called the police, and were informed (by the police) that there was nothing that they could do about it because it occurred on private property.

After a bit of research, I finally found some driving code... Pertinent excerpts are quoted below:

Sec. 550.022. ACCIDENT INVOLVING DAMAGE TO VEHICLE. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), the operator of a vehicle involved in an accident resulting only in damage to a vehicle that is driven or attended by a person shall:
(1) immediately stop the vehicle at the scene of the accident or as close as possible to the scene of the accident without obstructing traffic more than is necessary;
(2) immediately return to the scene of the accident if the vehicle is not stopped at the scene of the accident; and
(3) remain at the scene of the accident until the operator complies with the requirements of Section 550.023.
(c) A person commits an offense if the person does not stop or does not comply with the requirements of Subsection (a). An offense under this subsection is:
(1) a Class C misdemeanor, if the damage to all vehicles is less than $200; or
(2) a Class B misdemeanor, if the damage to all vehicles is $200 or more.
(c-1) A person commits an offense if the person does not comply with the requirements of Subsection (b). An offense under this subsection is a Class C misdemeanor.

Sec. 550.023. DUTY TO GIVE INFORMATION AND RENDER AID. The operator of a vehicle involved in an accident resulting in the injury or death of a person or damage to a vehicle that is driven or attended by a person shall:
(1) give the operator's name and address, the registration number of the vehicle the operator was driving, and the name of the operator's motor vehicle liability insurer to any person injured or the operator or occupant of or person attending a vehicle involved in the collision;
(2) if requested and available, show the operator's driver's license to a person described by Subdivision (1); and
(3) provide any person injured in the accident reasonable assistance, including transporting or making arrangements for transporting the person to a physician or hospital for medical treatment if it is apparent that treatment is necessary, or if the injured person requests the transportation.

SUBCHAPTER C. INVESTIGATION OF ACCIDENT
Sec. 550.041. INVESTIGATION BY PEACE OFFICER. (a) A peace officer who is notified of a motor vehicle accident resulting in injury to or death of a person or property damage to an apparent extent of at least $1,000 may investigate the accident and file justifiable charges relating to the accident without regard to whether the accident occurred on property to which this chapter applies.
(b) This section does not apply to:
(1) a privately owned residential parking area; or
(2) a privately owned parking lot where a fee is charged for parking or storing a vehicle.
Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1995. Amended by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 531, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 2001.

So, I suppose a business parking lot isn't excluded, but why is there even an investigation if the damage was well under $1,000?

I think my next step will be to inform the insurance company of the incident, and then go from there.
 

JustAPal00

Senior Member
I read your post, and at the time of the incident, it didn't even register as a priority. I had an urgent matter to attend to at home, and I consider the possibility of my pet going blind to be far more important than someone else's dent that they caused. Honestly, the next day, I didn't even think about the incident.

OK, so I should have informed the police, and my insurance. That much I realize now. I didn't think that was part of the law if you were on private property. I even spoke with other people after getting the letter, and they cited times where they were in their car (again, in a parking lot), while someone else backed into them and drove off. They called the police, and were informed (by the police) that there was nothing that they could do about it because it occurred on private property.

After a bit of research, I finally found some driving code... Pertinent excerpts are quoted below:



So, I suppose a business parking lot isn't excluded, but why is there even an investigation if the damage was well under $1,000?

I think my next step will be to inform the insurance company of the incident, and then go from there.
WOW! I'm reading this thread, and I can't believe it. YOU SHOULD NOT BE DRIVING A CAR! Don't you think rules apply to you? Didn't you read the info that you searched out and then posted? IT SAID:

(1) give the operator's name and address, the registration number of the vehicle the operator was driving, and the name of the operator's motor vehicle liability insurer to any person injured or the operator or occupant of or person attending a vehicle involved in the collision;

You refused to do that and left! THAT IS CALLED "HIT AND RUN"!
As everyone above has stated, YOU ARE IN TROUBLE! Denial will not get you out of it!!!!!!!
 

las365

Senior Member
just curious

What it all boils down to is that I want my license plate taken off of whatever list of 'suspected crimes' it's associated with, and I wish to retain my anonymity in the process.
Color me dim, but exactly how is anyone to remove you from a list if you insist on remaining anonymous?

As has been pointed out already, you were wrong, wrong, wrong to refuse to exchange insurance information. You apparently thought you could get away with it because you assumed the teenage driver had the car without permission. If it had been another adult, would you have done the same thing? Your justification at this point that back then you were scared of the kids, and now you fear he will hunt you down and vandalize your property is just wierd. So you work with teens who need rehabilitation, why in the world would that mean that this teenager is a criminal? Maybe you need a new line of work.
 

ecmst12

Senior Member
If you don't feel comfortable giving the other driver your address or phone number, you don't have to. All you have to give them is your name, your insurance company name/phone number/policy number, and the year/make/model of your car. They can get the license plate themselves. And then you go home and you call your insurance company and you tell them that you think someone is going to try to falsely claim that you hit them. They get a recorded statement from you and defend you against the bad dishonest teenagers. All that could have easily been done after you gave your dog the medicine. But you thought that the rules didn't apply to you, just because you thought it wasn't your fault, and now there's a warrent out for your arrest. When you get arrested, maybe THEN you'll learn the rules.
 

Lomotil

Junior Member
WOW! I'm reading this thread, and I can't believe it. YOU SHOULD NOT BE DRIVING A CAR! Don't you think rules apply to you? Didn't you read the info that you searched out and then posted? IT SAID:

(1) give the operator's name and address, the registration number of the vehicle the operator was driving, and the name of the operator's motor vehicle liability insurer to any person injured or the operator or occupant of or person attending a vehicle involved in the collision;

You refused to do that and left! THAT IS CALLED "HIT AND RUN"!
As everyone above has stated, YOU ARE IN TROUBLE! Denial will not get you out of it!!!!!!!
OK, I came to this board with an honest question, and have endured the remarks so far regarding my wrongdoing, but quite frankly, I find your comment to be rather invective. The fact of the matter is that I was not even in reverse gear at the time, foot on the brake, and this kid scrapes me. It seemed pretty cut-and-and dry at the time.

In times past, when someone else has struck my vehicle (and I can remember an exact instance only a few months ago), the other party admits fault and we go out separate ways. Take the time I got rear-ended while stopped at a traffic light - the bumper on my car was damaged, but it tore the whole front end up on his car. Since I didn't see any serious damage to my car, I said we'd just let it go, and we did. Hell, two police cars even showed up asking if anyone had called the police, we just shook our heads 'no' - and they drove off, not even checking for licenses or insurance!

Now, the part I quoted from the law (which you re-quoted above), I was not aware of during the accident. I had always been told that accidents that do not take place on the public roads are not under the jurisdiction of the police department, as evidenced by my previous post. It wasn't until the other night that I searched through the whole rulebook and quoted the specifics.

Color me dim, but exactly how is anyone to remove you from a list if you insist on remaining anonymous?

As has been pointed out already, you were wrong, wrong, wrong to refuse to exchange insurance information. You apparently thought you could get away with it because you assumed the teenage driver had the car without permission. If it had been another adult, would you have done the same thing? Your justification at this point that back then you were scared of the kids, and now you fear he will hunt you down and vandalize your property is just wierd. So you work with teens who need rehabilitation, why in the world would that mean that this teenager is a criminal? Maybe you need a new line of work.
By 'remaining anonymous' - I meant that I did not want this kid to know where I live. The last thing I want is a rock thrown through my window (or worse) from some kid whom got into trouble at home, isn't mature enough to accept responsibility, and blames it on me. I live a very private life, and strive to keep it that way. Just the other week, a documented gang member (another minor, BTW) was expelled from our program for stealing from our organization on the first day he was with us. Now, the kid was arrested (but released to his guardian, as he's a minor), but the policeman was kind enough to inform us that he was a documented member of "X" gang, and whenever they feel wronged, they retaliate by shooting to kill. Kinda sad when a cop tells you to back off from pressing charges because they're powerless to this kind of situation. But that's beyond the scope of this post, just a mere reference as to what kind of crap I have to deal with.

Maybe you've not had enough exposure to people with a vengeful streak, and yes, I'm probably being a bit paranoid when I factor that into my decisions, but I'd just rather be safe than sorry. "Why in the world would I think this teenager is a criminal?" - Well, when you strike someone else's vehicle in a parking lot, and don't admit guilt - isn't that breaking the law? Need I remind you that I was stopped during the collision, and that his compelling justification was that he claimed to be backing out first?

As far as the "thought you could get away with it" comment - well, at the time, I wasn't thinking anything along those lines. I had not committed a crime as far as the accident is concerned. If someone else hits you, then they are the one whom is guilty of a crime. I realize now that I have committed a crime by leaving the scene, but I had my reasons. Besides, at the time of the incident, I thought that law only applied to accidents that occurred on public roads.

If you don't feel comfortable giving the other driver your address or phone number, you don't have to. All you have to give them is your name, your insurance company name/phone number/policy number, and the year/make/model of your car. They can get the license plate themselves. And then you go home and you call your insurance company and you tell them that you think someone is going to try to falsely claim that you hit them. They get a recorded statement from you and defend you against the bad dishonest teenagers. All that could have easily been done after you gave your dog the medicine. But you thought that the rules didn't apply to you, just because you thought it wasn't your fault, and now there's a warrent out for your arrest. When you get arrested, maybe THEN you'll learn the rules.
First of all, I'd like to thank you for your post. Like the first two replies to this thread, yours is both informative, and (for the most part) non-judgmental. As for your last two sentences, I can only say that I did not follow that rationale that night, and am in the process of determining whether or not there is an actual warrant out for my arrest. As accused by yourself, and another poster, I apparently think that "the laws don't apply to me" - this is not true. Until a couple nights ago, I was completely unaware that 'accidents' on private property fell into the jurisdiction of the local police department. Now, I know that ignorance of the law is no excuse, so I'll politely ask that future responses don't ridicule me for my mistake. I realize it. Let's move on.

Now, I have one simple question, and I would appreciate it if someone familiar with the legal protocols would answer it in a non-judgmental, professional manner.

[highlight]What will happen if I get pulled over while driving, during the course of my dealing with this matter?[/highlight]

Thank you in advance.
 

JustAPal00

Senior Member
If you ignore this letter and a warrant is issued, then the following will happen if you get pulled over. You will be arrested and taken to the court house/magistrates office/jail (whichever your locality uses). If you meet a nice officer, he might let you call someone to come and pick up your car. If the officer is not so nice he will tow the vehicle and you will have to pay towing and impound fees. While at the court house/magistrates office/jail you will go infront of a judge that will tell you how much it will cost to be released. If you are arrested at night, you might have to wait until the following day. If your state suspends your license when your warrant is issued, then you will be driving on a suspended license. That will cary a hefty fine and a lengthy license suspension in addition. The best advice anyone can give you is to take this seriously and respond. No one has said you were at fault for the accident. If their are no witnesses other than the people in the two cars, odds are that it will be declared a no fault, and you will each be responsable for your own loss. The mistake you made was leaving the scene without exchanging the required info! If you respond to the letter, then you will probably be able to legally drive until the matter is settled.
 

Lomotil

Junior Member
Well, I would first like to thank everyone for their advice, however, I must inform anyone that reads this thread in the future that most of the "advice" posted in this thread is completely uninformed and bogus. To those that replied, I must extend a sincere "thank you" for your opinions and honesty.

Upon further investigation, however, I discovered that there is no such entity in the police department with that title, and furthermore, I have reaffirmed my initial stance regarding the whole 'private property' aspect.

So, there you have it, folks. This moron that backed into me decides to employ the services of a shady company (or, more likely, individual), in the hopes of scaring me into divulging my personal information to them, in the hopes that they can turn this whole thing around, masquerade as a division of the police force, and blame me for it.

Well, I have a little surprise for them. :D

Again, thanks for all of the wonderful replies full of angst and resentment. For those of you that took pride in bashing me for posting the facts, rest assured in the knowledge that I have the upper hand in this situation, and will certainly resolve this matter in the most proper manner.

"Free Advice Forum," eh? I guess you get what you pay for...
 

ecmst12

Senior Member
Nobody bashed you for posting facts. We bashed you for acting stupid, which I see you are continuing to do. Good luck with that!
 

JustAPal00

Senior Member
Well, I would first like to thank everyone for their advice, however, I must inform anyone that reads this thread in the future that most of the "advice" posted in this thread is completely uninformed and bogus. To those that replied, I must extend a sincere "thank you" for your opinions and honesty.

Upon further investigation, however, I discovered that there is no such entity in the police department with that title, and furthermore, I have reaffirmed my initial stance regarding the whole 'private property' aspect.

So, there you have it, folks. This moron that backed into me decides to employ the services of a shady company (or, more likely, individual), in the hopes of scaring me into divulging my personal information to them, in the hopes that they can turn this whole thing around, masquerade as a division of the police force, and blame me for it.

Well, I have a little surprise for them. :D

Again, thanks for all of the wonderful replies full of angst and resentment. For those of you that took pride in bashing me for posting the facts, rest assured in the knowledge that I have the upper hand in this situation, and will certainly resolve this matter in the most proper manner.

"Free Advice Forum," eh? I guess you get what you pay for...
GET PROFESSIONAL HELP!!! SOON!!!
 

outonbail

Senior Member
Well, I have a little surprise for them.
Really? I thought you were the one worried about the repercussions of involving yourself in disputes with vengeful teenagers?

But you now have a surprise for them?

As far as the collision, you claim:
I take great care to look behind me when I back up as to avoid situations such as this,
If this is true, then why this statement?
After I felt (and heard) the collision, I exited my vehicle,
If you were taking great care to look, why didn't you see the other vehicle? If you only "felt" and Heard" the collision, where were you looking at the time?
I've installed convex mirrors on both of my side mirrors, and white backup lights tend to show up very well - there was nobody backing up when I started to exit the stall.
No, convex mirrors greatly distort and shrink the view and are almost impossible to properly gage distance between objects. The intended purpose of those convex mirrors is not for backing up purposes, but to see what's alongside your vehicle, in what is usually a blind spot.
Did you turn around and look behind you while backing up or did you just use the little convex mirrors?

Also, you claim the first words out of this teens mouth were :
"Well, somebody's got to pay for this," while pointing to the damage.
I find it hard to believe that he was intentionally lying about it being you're fault, or that he knew it was his fault and quickly decided to turn the tables. Then his friends exited the vehicle and also claimed that it was your fault, without first having a private discussion with the driver. You actually believe these kids could organize this conspiracy to wrongfully accuse you so quickly?
Furthermore, when you make the following statement:
I had an urgent matter to attend to at home, and I consider the possibility of my pet going blind to be far more important than someone else's dent that they caused.
I get the impression that you weren't taking great care to look behind you that night, because you had other things on your mind, or as you put it, "urgent" matters to attend to.

It is when were preoccupied with something of great concern that we are easily distracted or not paying full attention. Hence, from what you've posted, I say there is a good chance that you were at fault even though you have convinced yourself that you were not!

It happens!!!!!!!!
 

alnorth

Member
I must inform anyone that reads this thread in the future that most of the "advice" posted in this thread is completely uninformed and bogus.
I'm sorry, I must have missed the part where you asked the forum if this letter was valid or a scam. Wait... no... nope, I didnt. You stated that the police identified you as a hit and run suspect. We took you at your word and assumed you were not either mistaken or lying to the board. To the extent that anything you got back was incorrect, it was pretty much your fault for giving bad information, you cant blame an answer on bad information when YOU were the one who apparently didnt know what he was talking about.

Anyway, the primary advice you received was that your actions following the accident were extremely foolish, and that is still correct even if you get away with it.
 

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